By: Rudy Lu
The sounds of Club D’Elf are not for everybody. But those that listen with open ears, mind and body experience a temporary escape from the madness of our modern world.
Their sound is not about melody but the groove. This groove doesn’t originate from the dance floor or festival grounds but is deeply primal. The use of the sintir( 3 stringed acoustic Moroccan bass) by leader Mark Rivard heavily influences the sound of the band.
At this performance, the band itself is made up of a core of consisting of Mark Rivard (bass) and Mr. Rourke (turntables) with 3 guest musicians each bringing their own magic to the mix.
John Medeski is a keyboard player extraordinaire that always brings his vast imagination to the mix. His other projects include Medeski, Martin and Wood and Mad Skillet. He is seen a few times a year in the 518 and 845. He was brought in to replace guitarist Reeve Gabriel, who had a scheduling conflict.
Guitarist Scott Metzger is a wizard of this instrument. A relatively young legend, he is a full time member of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. He has incorporated the spirit of Jerry Garcia’s guitar work and added his own touches. He has appeared with many other musicians both in the studio and live. This performance was his first performance with this land!
Drummer Fabio Pirozzolo is a jazz drummer, world percussionist and folk singer from the Boston area. That combination proved to be a synergistic addition.
This tour was to celebrate and publicize the release of their new CD “Loon & Thrush”. There was no setlist, but the performance focused on music from that set which included two Grateful Dead covers and a tribute to their late founding member Brahim Frigane, a gnawa master.
1st Set
First set opened with a long meandering jam that started with a musical description of the mists of time along with the timelessness of drifting sand dunes, These evolved into a primeval shifting set of dance rhythms. Much of the audience responded by dancing in or in front of their seats. Pirozzolo chanted with unexpected starts and stops. These chants can originally be heard in South Indian ragas.Mr. Rourke’s turntables gave a hip-hop feel to the music. The second piece was a tribute to founding member Brahim Frigane, “Bird Song”, gnawa rhythms dominated.
2nd set
Unexpected NOLA Funk/March rhythms started the second set, the tune was appropriately titled “Second March” with bluesy guitar provided by Metzger and giddy organ/mellotron fills by Medesky. The Grateful Dead songbook was then featured with “Speedway Boogie”, with Metzger leading the way. “Left Hand Of Clyde” also from “Loon and Thrush” transitioned into Frank Zappa’s “King Kong”. That instantly humorous yet sophisticated Zappa riff quickly went to improvisation with Metzger doing his own thing but the band returning to the recognizable riff over and over again. Somewhere along the line, Pirozollo brought out a hand drum and began playing it instead of his kit bringing his folk and world music into the fray.
A truly wild ending to a great set of music. Again for those who don’t have an itch and open ear, this was not for them. But for those who were, it was a glorious night.
To find out more about the band see :
